Montgomery for dual system with GKV and PKV

German Medical Association chief Montgomery for dual system with GKV and PKV

05/11/2012

The German Medical Association (BÄK) urges for the receipt of statutory and private health insurance. Frank Ulrich Montgomery, President of the BÄK, underlined once again the rejection of a citizens' insurance demanded by the SPD, the Greens and the Left.

Through PKV many new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures have been introduced
„In order to maintain the quality of the current health care system, despite dwindling resources, we need competition between statutory and private health insurance“, Montgomery said yesterday opposite „The world“. This is the only way to guarantee a comprehensive service catalog for all patients. The private health insurance (PKV), there are many new methods for diagnosis and therapy, which would not have been introduced without them. „The PKV approves them quickly and puts the health insurances usually under pressure, with the result that they follow and all patients can benefit from innovations.“

However, the BÄK president also points out that private health insurers themselves are responsible for solving their financial challenges. This would be their responsibility. Particularly dramatic are the horrendous broker commissions amounting to 2.7 billion euros annually. „After all, that's half as much as they spend on doctors' performance. That's a lot of money. Here the PKV must save. The fact that she can not do that without the government's legal help is an indictment“, Montgomery criticized.

Although he sees PKV as future-proof, however, a lot has to change. „The industry has to do something, otherwise its business model is questioned“, the BÄK president warned. A citizens' insurance demanded by the SPD, the Greens and the Left rejects Montgomery as an alternative and states: „I do not think that citizens' insurance aimed at abolishing private health insurance is feasible. No previously known model can withstand a constitutional review. For example, it is an expropriation procedure when cash contributions are levied on all income. The health insurance companies may not be tax authorities.“ (Ag)

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